Child Poverty Spreads in San Antonio

posted by Berit Mason
-
3 years ago

"Trickle Down" Theory Fails Texans25% of Bexar county children now live in poverty

==============================

More Bexar county children are living in poverty increasing to 25% of children today.

Between 2000 and 2011, the number of children living in poverty in Bexar county shot up 31%.

The Center for Public Policy Priorties' Francis Deviney Chavez says obviously the strong economy is not trickling down.

"Texas has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and we also have the third highest rate of low wage jobs."

She says children live in the home ofthose struggling wage earners whonow battle cuts in food stampsand health care.

Conservative groups counter that the federal poverty line or abotu $24,000 a year for a family of four also takes into consideration more expensive places in the country, like New York City and Los Angeles. They say wages go a lot farther in Texas than in those places.

"Even after the recession ended and the economy improved and Texas' economy improved faster than the other states, our child poverty rate continued to climb."

She says many of the jobs coming toTexas are low wage jobs so withflat wages and cuts in food stampsand health care ... those beloware being crushed while theeconomic disparity especiallyin Texas now widens.

She says the rich are getting richerand the poor poorer, especiallyin Texas.

"The Census Bureau looks at a measureabout income inequality and it's muchbigger in Texas," she says.